Shannon's ENG 697 Portfolio

7 elements of digital storytelling:

A point of view
1. What makes a story something someone else wants to hear?
2. We don’t tell stories, “And this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, and then this, and then this, and this......it’s boring!
3. MAPS – define exactly what you’re trying to get at and what you’re doing

i. M – Mode, or genre – What type of writing is this?
ii. A – Audience – Who is this for?
iii. P – Purpose – Why are you writing this? Why would someone want to read it?
iv. S – What is it about this piece that sparked it in the first place, or how did it change during the process? What is interesting TO YOU about this piece?

This will lead your editing choices along every step of the way

Dramatic question
1. More than just making a point
2. Best if you can create tension – you want something, and someone or something else is in your way
Emotional content
1. Take a truthful approach to emotional material
2. This is an excellent way to grab the audience – we all feel emotions, and we read/listen/watch stories in order to access those emotions
3. If you are not truthful, you risk becoming overdramatic or trivial
Voice
1. Everybody hates their voice in recordings
2. Reading vs reciting

i. Practice, practice, practice!
ii. You want to sound natural, unafraid
iii. Keep it short

Soundtrack
1. Set the mood
2. Change our perception
3. Establish a rhythm
Economy
1. Keep in mind the visual and the auditory
2. They complement each other/say different things
3. Write to the visual backdrop/don’t tell us what we see
4. Minimum of dialogue and of pictures – Less Is More!
Pacing
1. The true secret of success – you either sustain or lose an audience’s interest
2. Visual – panning images slowly or bursts in staccato succession
3. Audio – starts and stops, pauses, quick bursts of energy
4. A mechanical rhythm is hard to listen to, and you will lose your audience

7 Elements